Southern Newsies
by Lady Shinigami1
Summary: A new gang has moved to Manhatten. Written by me and my friend, Stone. Just read it. it's good! [CHAPTER 2 AND 3 IS UP!]
1. Duo

Southern Newsies  
  
By: Duo(Carlyle) and Stone (Shani) Summery: A new gang has come to Manhattan and is taking all of Jack and the boys business. What will Jacky-boy do? Stone sees someone she hasn't seen in a long time. What is she going to do? (ok, so im not good with summaries, so shoot me!)  
  
Chapter 1 (by Duo)  
  
"Hey boys, yall all here?" Duo stood up from behind the crate.  
  
"Yea, were all here." Some boys stood up, some coming from under sheets, and some from crates.  
  
Duo walked over to the door of the boxcar and looked through the cracks. She sighed, in her heart she wished she was back home in Alabama, but her mind told her that staying meant endangering her boys, and she couldn't go through with that. She loved her little gang of boys more than her life itself. She couldn't stand the thought of looking them.  
  
She felt an arm wrap around her neck, comforting her. "Duo, don't worry. We'll be alright."  
  
Duo Looked up and met Hunt's eyes; he was the only one who cared for her more as just a friend. To him she was like his girlfriend, although he never told her how he felt.  
  
To Duo all her boys were special, but Hunt was her favorite: strong, caring, smart.hack he had it all: the looks, the talent, everything.  
  
"Sorry to disturb your moment, but where are we going anyways?" It was Fish of course: stupidest guy you will ever see.  
  
Duo walked up to her boys and sat down on a crate. By then most of the guys were crowded around her. "Didn't you read the sign Fish, the train is heading to New York."  
  
That's when all the commotion started; everyone started to talk at once. "NEW YORK!" Dem yanks up there!"  
  
"Yea, I know that!" Duo leaned back, she enjoyed when she made the boys angry and scared.  
  
"Yall know dem yanks hate us southerners!"  
  
"HEY! Yall just shut up!" the talking stopped and Hunt stood on a crate, "So what if dem yanks hate us, that is why we have a leader like Duo here to protect us!"  
  
Everyone started to crack up laughing.  
  
"Hey, what you don't think im good enough for yall." Duo sat up grinning; she was always being joked around with.  
  
"Theys gonna think we're crazy with a gurl leading us!"  
  
Duo jumped up and grabbed Deer's neck, pinning him against the wall, "Whatcha saying Deer, ya know you shouldn't insult me!"  
  
Everything was quiet for a while, until she let go of deer's neck. Turning around, she spotted Jason sitting in the corner, "hey, whats da matta Black- Jack? Ya look like ya thinking about something."  
  
"Nah, just hoping."  
  
"Bout what?" She sat down next to him.  
  
"Just hoping that she will be there."  
  
"Who is she? Some kind of girlfriend?" Duo smiled, "ya know you have to let me meet her first, only the best for my boys."  
  
"no, she aint a girlfriend. She is just my sister."  
  
"I never knew you had a sister."  
  
"Yea, you don't want to hear about it. It was a long time ago and she probably doesn't remember me. I just hope I did the right thing by putting her on that train."  
  
"Well I hope im doing the right thing by putting yall on this train." She was interrupted by the sound of a whistle, indicating they were pulling into the station. She stood up and walked over to the door. "Hey, we better get off before they come to check the cars for passengers like us." With that she opened the door. "Who wants to go first?"  
  
"Are you saying that we have to jump off?" Coon piped up. He was barley twelve and was afraid of almost anything, but he would never admit it.  
  
"Yes, Coon we got to jump. If they catch us here they will arrest us."  
  
"Ok, come on chickens, let's go!" Coon walked over to door and peered over the edge. They were still moving pretty fast. He tried to back up, but Duo stopped him.  
  
"Come on Coon. Lets go together." Duo grabbed his hand and jumped off, hitting the gravel hard. "OUCH! Oh, shit! That hurt! Coon, you alright buddy?"  
  
"Me? Im fine! Never better!" tears were running down his face, he wasn't fine. His leg was bleeding and there was a possibility that he broke it. She picked him up.  
  
One by one the rest jumped, but landing better than Duo and Coon. Duo walked over to the boys, caring Coon. "Listen, we got to get Coon some help. Lets go into town, ok?"  
  
They left the train station, heading for the city.  
  
"Hey you boys. Where is the nearest doctors' office?" Fish asked some guys. He and Hunt had left to go find a doctor, while Duo and the others watched Coon, they just couldn't carry the poor boy around all day.  
  
"Hey Sag, yous hearin' wut im hearin'?"  
  
"Yea, I think I am. Look wut we found, a couple of hicks up here in New York! Why don't you gets home before I soak ya!"  
  
"Listen, we got to get to a doctor right now! Are yall going to help or not?" Hunt grabbed the boys' color; He couldn't stand it. Coon was hurt and Hunt wasn't going to let anyone get in his way.  
  
"You touch us, Spot will come after you with a cane!"  
  
"Well, I don't know who Spot is, so what does it matter." He throw the boys to the ground.  
  
"what's the matta boys?" Duo walked up. "Fish, Hut have you found a doctor yet? We've been waiting for a long time."  
  
"Listen ya scabbers. Yous better shut your mouth! I wanna talk to yous leader!" Both of the boys looked pissed that they were being beaten.  
  
"Ya talking to her." Duo got up in their face, "Whatcha want?"  
  
"hehe.yous dare leader! But yous a goil!" The boys started laughing.  
  
"yes, I am! Whatchall going to do about it, beat me?" I can tall by yall's scrawny arms that you arnt very strong."  
  
"Don't insult Brooklyn newsies!" The boys stepped forward, one pulling out a slingshot the other clinching his fists, both trying to defend their rep.  
  
Duo laughed, "So you want to fight me, huh. Well I wouldn't if I were you!"  
  
We aint afraid of any goil!"  
  
"Sag, lets to get into any fights, look at him!" The Brooklyn Newsie pointed at Hunt.  
  
"You better run!" Duo laughed. She wouldn't sick Hunt on them. They were too weak to last very long with Hunt, "Now tell us the information we need or else!".. 


	2. Stone

Chapter 2(by Stone)  
  
"Mayor caught in love nest wife tawks a divorce! T'anks mistah." Stone said as she sold her last pape.  
  
"Heya Stone come on I'se gotta hot tip on da fourth if we'se hurry we'se cin make it."  
  
"Ok Stone which one's a winnah?"Race asked as he lit he's cigar.  
  
"Heero."  
  
"You'se kiddin' me right?"  
  
"Nope Heero'sa winnah."  
  
"Well da odds 'er 1 to 20 but if you'se sur'" Stone nodded "din okay."  
  
"How'd cha know dat?!"Race couldn't believe that he just won 20 dollars off one bet.  
  
"'Cause I'se cin always tell me brotahs been taken me to da races since I'se was 5 but when I'se was 7 me fatdah lost his factory jod got drunk and killed me muddah. He was 'bout ta grad me when Jason hit him over da head wid a board. He grabbed me by da hand and pulled me down da street. When we got ta da trian yawds da train was 'bout to pull way. He put me on da train foist and 'fore he could get on me fatdah grabbed 'im an' pulled 'im away. Well da train left an' here I'se is taday. I'se ain't seen Jase since." Stone said with a farway look on her face.  
  
Race was thinking 'Why ain't see cryin' I'se know I'se would be.' The look on Stone's face almost made Race cry himself. She was in so much pain and he could do nothing but stand by and watch. He pulled her into a tight embrace and said "Stone ya know it's okay ta cry. It'll make ya feel bettah too." Stone pulled away so she could look into his eyes. They were filled with compashion.  
  
"I cain't cry Race. I'se don' know how." She said just above a wisper. They stood for what seemed like hours but was only a minate before Race leaned in to kiss her.  
  
The next day at the lodging house Spot came over from Brooklyn for a poker game. Stone was taking every ones money whitch was no suprise ever since she had been there no one had seen her lose. She could come up with some kind of flush every time plus she had a dinamite poker face that every one called her stone face (thus the name Stone).  
  
"Heya Jaky-boy did ya here 'bout dat knew gang. Dday's got 'ere dis mornin' day's is hicks from Alabama." Spot said when the poker game ended with Stone taking all the money.  
  
"Alabama?" Stone asked with no emosion. She was quite good at hidding her feelings and was told she would make a good Brooklyn newsies. That and the fact that she carried a slingshot.  
  
"Yeah Alabama an' da wierdist t'ing is dat da leadah is a Goil." Stones thoughts were racing. Jason had been a newsies in Alabama and the leader had been a girl. Could it be? Her thuoghts were enterobited when Spot asked "Stone ya ok? wait ain't you'se from Alabama did cha know 'em?"  
  
She gave Race a quick glace than replied "No nevah hoid of 'em." She walked up the stairs and in to the bunkroom.  
  
"I'se gotta feelin' she knows sumt'in'." Spot said after he heard her climd the stairs.  
  
She fell in to a restless sleep filled with with nightmares of mothers murder and her leaving Alabama. She was on the train and Jason was on the ground soaked real bad.  
  
"Stay on the train Zander!" Jason called after her.  
  
"JASE! JASON!"Stone yelled from the train car.  
  
Race was terrified. He didn't know what to do. Just than Stone awoke with Race shaking her shoulders. Jack and Spot were beside him. When she was fully awake she flow into Race's arms.  
  
"It's ok Stone you'se in New Yawk. You'se at da News boys logding house." Race reasured her.  
  
She finally got a hold of herself and looked up.Race was suprised to see she wasn't crying but said nothing else.  
  
"T'anks Race," she said quietly and turned to the other conserned faces in the room. "I'se sorry I'se woke ya all up you'se cin go back ta sleep." Everyone but Jack, Spot, and Race went back to bed.  
  
"Ya wanna tell us who Jason is Stone?" Spot asked with consern and wonder.  
  
"I'se...I'se can't...I'se jist can't dere's to many bad memories."Spot nodded and she layed back down. Race kissed her forehead and they all went back to sleep.  
  
Stone stayed awake the rest of the night not wanting to see her mother die again or Jason laying on the grounded half dead telling her to stay on that train. 


	3. Duo

Chapter 3 (by: Duo)  
  
"So how much money we got left?" The gang of southerners looked down at a small pile of coins.  
  
"Not enough.. twenty.thirty.fifty.three dollars." Duo looked at the change in her hand. Three dollars wasn't enough to keep 5 guys and a girl healthy. It wasn't enough to buy them food regularly. Coons doctor bill took most of their money away.  
  
"Man, not only do we not have enough money to get an one apartment! Where are we going to stay? On the streets? , We are already the talk of the town"  
  
Yea, they were that talk of the town: The southern freaks. Anyone who heard their accent just started to crack up laughing.  
  
"I told you on the train, Duo. In New York, people hate southerners."  
  
"Shut up Deer! It doesn't matter; we came here to start over! It's better than staying down there!"  
  
"Duo, Deer, yall both just shut up! I don't want to hear yall yelling!"  
  
"Shut up Hunt! Don't get into this." The group fell silent. When Duo said to shut up they did. They would do anything she told them to do. Jump off a bridge? They would do it if she told them to. She was their leader after all.  
  
"EXTRE, EXTRE! FIRE THRETENS LIVE OF THREE HEADED BABY."  
  
Duo looked around from where that was coming from. It was unfamiliar to her. Someone waking around yelling about babies and fires was unusual. (Lets say they didn't have newsies in the south)  
  
Finally she spotted the man. He stood waving around newspapers, yelling. He wore a black vest and a black cowboy hat.  
  
"yall stay right here." she never took her eyes off him, After explaining to her boys that she was going to go look at something alone, she started walking, right up to that boy.  
  
"Heya miss." He took off his hat and smiled, "Buy a pape?"  
  
"So that's what you are doing? Selling papers?" Duo smiled with satisfaction. Now she found something that her and her boys could do to make money: sell papers.  
  
"Yea I is." He smiled innocently; she could tell he was good at selling papers. The idea of selling them was fabulous, but she was still a little uncertain about the whole thing.  
  
"How much money do you normally make a day?" He leaned against the wall of a nearby building in deep thought. "Well, it depends on how many papers you buy. It usually makes around a dollar a day."  
  
"What happens if the headlines arnt good?" Duo was anxious to learn more about the idea. She was certain that this was the perfect job for her and her boys.  
  
"well arnt we asking a lot of questions today, huh"  
  
Duo frowned. She had been asking a lot of questions, "Yea, sorry."  
  
He held out his hand waiting for her to shake it. "The names' Kelly, Jack Kelly, but you can call me Cowboy."  
  
Duo smiled and shook his hand, "Duo, Duo Maxwell. But you call me Duo, or else." She made sure she shook his hand with a firm grip. She wanted to make sure that he didn't think she was a weakling.  
  
"Man, you got a strong grip Duo."  
  
"Thanx, just making sure you don't think im a pushover."  
  
"Nah, you can tall you arnt a pushover. By the way, you don't sound like you are around here. Where are you from?"  
  
"New Jersey." She lied, trying to make herself sound like a person from there.  
  
"You can't be from New Jersey. Hey wait a minute, you're the leader to that new gang everyone has been talking about. Yea, the ones from Alabama."  
  
He could see right through her. "Yea." but she was cut short. A couple ran up to Her and Jack. The guy had a patch across his eye, and the girl was normal height with shoulder length brown hair.  
  
"Hey Blink, Toity." Jack started to talk to them.  
  
"Hey Jack! Me and Toity have been looking for you everywhere! You should be done with the papers by Now. Anyways Spot is in town again today wand want to play poker with us now, so hurry up!"  
  
Jack turned to Duo, and smiled. "Sorry miss, I got to go. Maybe I will see you later." He kissed her hand and walked off, but before he was out of site he turned around and put on his hat, "And the answer to your last question.Headlines don't sell Papes, Newsies sell papes." Then he walked out of site with Toity and Blink.  
  
Duo was amazed that se found a job. Something easy and not dangerous. Smirking, she ran back to the gang.  
  
"What are you so happy about, huh?" Hunt looked pissed. Had he seen them.  
  
"Nothing, now come on." She dragged them over to a shop. Inside the window was a verity of different clothing. When they got inside, Duo immediately ran over to the hat rack, taking down five cabby hats, and handing them to Hunt, Blackjack, Deer, and Fish then putting one on herself.  
  
"What about me?" Coon walked up to her, a tear running down his face. Duo took her finger and wiped it away, she sank down to his level. "I will buy you one later. When you get old enough."  
  
"When will I be old enough," Tears were streaming down his face.  
  
  
  
"Who was the goil you were talking to? A new goilfriend?" Toity was somewhat jealous. She never had anyone like her, except for Blink, but then he found someone new. Since then she never dated but was always jealous of the girls Jack and Blink did.  
  
"Nah, ya know that new gang?"  
  
"Yea, people say they're from Alabama. Is she in the gang or something?" Blink looked interested.  
  
"Well, actually she's da leader."  
  
What jack said had blown Blink totally off guard. "She.She's da leader.but jack.she's a goil." "Yea, I know and don't act like I made her be it."  
  
"Well what were you two talkin' bout?"  
  
"She just wanted to know about selling papes. She's probably goin to work with us. Ya never know buddy, you might just get a new goil."  
  
"What about you, you arnt going to take her are you?"  
  
"No. I don't think I can love anybody anymore."  
  
"Aw, come on. Sarah died over a year ago! Just forget about her. She wasn't that great anyways."  
  
"ah-em" Toity felt as if she had been totally forgotten. Which then she felt more pissy since they were talking about a girl that wasn't her.  
  
"Toity! We haven't forgotten about you, baby. Do me a favor and get me something to drink at Tibby's" Blink flipped her a coin, and of course Toity left, she would do anything for Blink.  
  
"Hey jack" Race and Stone were walking down the stairs of the boys lodging house.  
  
"Hey Race, Stone. You jointing the poker game later?"  
  
"Oh, I got to tell you. Spot said he wouldn't be able to come, some of his boys got into a fight so it's been called off. Oh, me and Stone are going to the races. Se ya later."  
  
The left, leaving Jack and Blink alone. After a few minutes of silence, jack finally spoke up, "So where is everyone else?"  
  
"They went to Tibby's with Denten."  
  
"oh."  
  
  
  
Duo looked at her new outfit. Her light khaki pants looked really good against her black boots. And her white shirt was just nice looking. Her brown cabby hat made her blonde hair stand out nicely. "So how do I look?" She twirled around once, acting like a famous, proper lady.  
  
The boys just stared.well except for Coon, he just smiled and said it looked great. Each boy had gotten a new outfit, which consisted of some pants, nice shirts, and a hat. The newsie attire.  
  
"So why are we blowing off all our money on some clothes?" Fish looked at his, he didn't seam to happy with it.  
  
"Because.I will show you later." Duo paid the cashier (or whoever she had to pay) and left the store, "Ok, tonight we have to find a place to stay. Any ideas?"  
  
"Well, we pretty much lived on the streets our whole life, so I guess we can just keep living on the streets." (Now you see why fish is stupid! What an idiot!)  
  
Duo looked at him like he was crazy. Then she remembered Jack. "Wait, I can probably find a place for us to stay! Come on!"  
  
"Wait, Duo." Duo turned around, Blackjack seemed to be worried about something.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Do you mind if I go.."  
  
"Yea, you can." She didn't even let him finish. She knew what he was going to say.  
  
"Thanks." He backed up and walked off, "I will meet yall later!"  
  
"Where's he going?" Coon walked up to Duo. She just put her hand on his hand and replied,  
  
"Nowhere." 


End file.
